Alex Cortes

Are Republicans committed to defeating ObamaCare? On top of some party leaders in both the House and Senate not committing to fully repealing the law, neither chamber’s conference has yet to back the most immediate way to effectively defeat it: De-Fund It

If a majority in either chamber of Congress has pledged to de-fund ObamaCare, a realistic prospect next year, then they have the power to simply refuse to appropriate the funds necessary to implement and enforce the law.

Despite the American people expressing their support for de-funding ObamaCare time and time again, the Republican Party is dragging its feet on whether to support such a common-sense solution to defeating the law.

Here are just a few of ways the American people have spoken out in support of de-funding:

“Defund, Repeal, and Replace” ObamaCare is the most popular proposal at House Republicans’ solution-seeker “America Speaking Out”

“Defund, Repeal, and Replace” ObamaCare is item No. 7 on the Tea Party and conservative movement’s Contract from America.

Over 135 candidates have signed DeFundIt.org’s Politician’s Pledge to de-fund ObamaCare, including Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle and twelve in the NRCC’s Young Guns program.

Conservative leaders like Sen. Rick Santorum, Gov. George Allen, and Let Freedom Ring President Colin Hanna have signed DeFundIt.org’s People’s Pledge to support de-funding ObamaCare.

Fortunately, some representatives in the party have joined the American people in support of de-funding, including Sen. Richard Burr, and Reps. John Boehner, Michele Bachmann, Todd Tiahrt, Steve King, and Ron Paul, but they are lonely leaders at this point.

While Bachmann has rightly asserted that “we have to be committed to defunding Obamacare, to make sure that it doesn’t get instituted in this country,” she is going to need the entire Republican Party behind her to make de-funding the law a reality. Will her colleagues step up to the plate and join her in the fight to defeat ObamaCare?

The party faces a critical leadership test on how to approach ObamaCare – either promote and pursue a de-funding strategy that will effectively defeat the law in the short term or only present the options of repeal and replace, on which they won’t be able to deliver for several years from now, if ever.

ObamaCare can’t be repealed until a majority in both chambers support repeal and the election of a president who won’t veto it, which is 2013 at the earliest. Further, full repeal will likely demand 60 amenable Senators to avoid a filibuster, a prospect that could escape us by the time the law is fully implemented and has already begun the entrenchment process towards an immortal entitlement program.

However, all it takes to de-fund ObamaCare is simply majority control of one chamber of Congress, making it the most immediate and realistic solution before us.

By supporting de-funding ObamaCare, Republicans would prove to the American people that they are in fact the party fighting tooth and nail to defeat the law.

This is the type of leadership we need and deserve until ObamaCare is de-funded, repealed, and replaced with common-sense solutions that will actually lower health care costs and provide citizens more freedom in choosing their coverage.

Alex Cortes is the Chairman of DeFundIt.org, an organization advocating for the de-funding of ObamaCare

Obamacare must be either repealed or de-funded so real reform can be done. Obamacare is NOT reform it is a power grabbiing entitlement that will bankrupt this country and destroy health care. Obama stole from Medicare to start another government program. The democrats lied about the cost. Obamacare is a catastrophe!!!!